

Unfortunately, no one line will do all that bass fishing demands. When it comes to casting buzz baits, crankbaits, frogs or jigs in heavy cover, braid is an all around versatile choice. However, clear water bass anglers can add a fluoro or mono leader to braid to combat this. It’s not a problem in stained water or thick vegetation. The one draw back to braid is its high visibility in water. Not only does this allows for extremely long casts, it also has the power to yank big hogs from thick cover.īraid has zero stretch so every bump and bite will register in your hands. This ultra strong line has a super thin diameter relative to strength. Braidīraid has enjoyed increased popularity in recent years and for good reason. Poppers and walk-the-dog baits will get tangled in your line every time. Whether you use a spinning reel or baitcaster, fluorocarbon will work as a mainline for most applications except topwater.įluoro sinks so avoid using it with topwater baits.

Even so, most anglers find it stiff and hard to manage on a spinning reel. When it comes to finesse fishing for heavily pressured largemouth, fluoro is superior. It is also extremely sensitive and has significantly lower stretch than mono. Fluorocarbon line has similar light refracting characteristics as water and is virtually invisible to fish. It has its place in a bass angler’s repertoire though. Fluorocarbonįluorocarbon has come a long ways over the years but it is still a ‘love it’ or ‘hate it’ type of line for many anglers. For most of our bass fishing, mono is only ever used as a leader and not a mainline. Monofilament above 20 pound test is ungainly and becomes a hinderance to lure action and castability. The most limiting feature of mono is line thickness. Braid supplies sensitivity and mono absorbs some of the impact from savage strikes. That’s why mono line is often used as a leader on braided line. While this stretch hinders bite detection when the bass are softly slurping at your bait, it does help act as a shock absorber on crushing strikes. It’s invisible enough for finesse tactics like the drop shot yet strong enough for most lighter jigs or top water baits in light cover and reeds. Monofilament is the jack of all trades in bass fishing. Here is what distinguishes the three types of line for bass fishing. Balancing these primary factors is critical to get the most out of your line. Each has unique attributes that make one line better than another depending on the application.Īs far as bass anglers are concerned, the most important traits in a fishing line are sensitivity, strength and invisibility under the water. The majority of anglers are aware that there are three main types of lines.

That’s why we asked experienced anglers and scoured the web in order to make a guide designed to simplify your decision about the ideal line size for bass fishing. It is so easy to get lost in the complex tangle of line choices. Everyone is going to dial in their gear and no two opinions on line size are the same. Sounds reasonable but the thing is, bass anglers really like to get technical. When casting big swimbaits, crankbaits, jigs and topwater tackle, a braided main line in the 30-50 pound test range is incredibly versatile. Bump it up to 15 or 20 pound test in heavy cover. But it’s always a work in progress.įor bass fishing, use 8 to 12 pound test monofilament or fluorocarbon line with finesse presentations using spinning gear.

I am constantly refining my line size to deliver baits with just the right combination of function and power. One of the most critical components to a well tuned bass fishing setup is your fishing line. Get the ingredients right and you’ll find more bass, hook more bass and consistently, catch bigger bass. Bass fishing is one of those things where having the right equipment makes all the difference.
